How Kakamega County is using OGP to deliver the promise of devolution

Strategic collaboration is increasingly becoming the secret ingredient in influencing government entities. In an era of unpredictable civic space, dwindling donor money and declining trust between citizens and their governments, civic actors are compelled to craft innovative approaches to achieve strategic outcomes. One such approach is strategic collaboration, which Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are using to advance governance reforms aimed at increased transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement.

December 10, 2025, will go down in the history of Kakamega County’s chapter on Open Government Partnership (OGP). This was just days after the County marked one year since joining OGP. On this day, Twaweza East Africa, the Network for Research and Governance, Mzalendo Trust, in a strategic collaboration with the Government of Kakamega County, co-created and launched the first-ever sub-national Sauti za Wananchi Report on OGP, alongside the commissioning of the County Call Centre.

The Sauti za Wananchi Report provided critical citizens’ feedback on three of the four OGP commitment areas for Kakamega County: Public Participation and Civic Engagement, Open Budgets, and Access to Information and Open Assembly. The report lacked citizens’ views on Climate Action.

On public participation and civic engagement, the report revealed that county residents actively discuss politics with friends and family (72%). This, however, is not reflected in the formal county participatory processes, as only 41% reported attending a county-organised public participation forum. This points to a governance gap that the county government should address as an obligation under its OGP commitment and in line with the principles of good governance as guided by the 2010 Kenyan Constitution.

In terms of open budgets and access to information, the report further revealed that 66% of Kakamega citizens report that it is difficult to access the county’s budgets and plans. Asked how easy or difficult it is, similarly, 65% are sceptical about the extent to which ordinary citizens can influence county decision-making. These results point to a gap in delivering the promise of devolution, where citizens express pessimism with the extent to which their views can influence county governance.

As the County marked one year in OGP, this citizens’ feedback provides a critical baseline against which progress over the commitment period (2024-2027) will be tracked.

While launching the report on behalf of H.E. the Governor, H.E. Hon. Ayub Savula, Deputy Governor, acknowledged that the report offered the County Government critical perspectives on the County governance practices. The Governor accepted the findings and committed to working closely with partners to strengthen the county’s democratic footprint and good governance. H.E. the Governor further noted that the county government would review its governance practices to address the gaps identified by the county’s citizens.

On the same day, the County Government also launched a County Call Centre as an open government initiative to address further the governance gaps identified by citizens. The Governor emphasised that the Call Centre would bridge the information gap between citizens and the Government by facilitating real-time feedback. Such feedback, he noted, is essential for understanding the impact of the county governance practices and for fine-tuning service delivery to meet residents’ needs.

Speaking at the launch, Betty Nawire, a County resident, expressed optimism about the Call Centre’s potential benefits. She noted that upon its operationalisation, the call Centre will:

• Provide a direct connection between citizens, especially those from remote parts of the County, with their government
• Promote inclusivity in governance by giving all citizens an equal chance in terms of access to government
• Strengthen public participation
• Enable timely feedback from the county government
• Increase stakeholder engagement from the grassroots
• Build trust between citizens and government

A clear thread emerges when an examination of the County’s OGP commitment is performed. Good governance is the sixth pillar in H.E. the Governor’s manifesto, and joining the OGP was indeed a strategic move to advance this agenda. Through OGP, Kakamega County gained access to a global pool of best practices and peer-learning opportunities, including exchanges with counties such as Nandi, which have been running the county call centre for years. 

It is commendable to see Kakamega County Government’s openness to third-party feedback and its willingness to act on such feedback, particularly when reinforced by directives from the Governor. By opening itself up to external scrutiny through OGP and internal scrutiny through citizen feedback mechanisms, the County has given residents a front-row seat in holding their government accountable.

As the County Government begins to act on citizens’ feedback in the first year of OGP implementation, it is indeed encouraging to see tangible steps being taken not just to open up government but also to empower Kakamega citizens to co-govern the county through continuous exchange of ideas and feedback through the County call centre.

If citizens’ feedback, both the Sauti za Wananchi Report and the Call Centre, is taken seriously and acted upon, it could significantly improve the public trust perception ranking on the county executive, who are currently ranked at 4% by citizens on the same Sauti za Wananchi report. The ultimate reward may come in 2027, when the County concludes its OGP commitment period, coinciding with Kenya’s general elections.

There is great hope that the County Government will address the gaps highlighted by citizens and operationalise the Call Centre in a way that truly brings governance closer to the people. This ambition cannot be achieved by the County government alone. Strategic collaboration with civic actors and citizens will be essential, and if realised, these efforts will contribute meaningfully to the delivery of devolution as envisioned in Kenya’s 2010 Constitution.

This article was written by Sarah Mwangi, Program Officer, Twaweza Kenya.